STEP 4 - HOW WE DO IT

Keeping Everybody in Touch:

This begins with dual (toll-free) phone systems which receive and distribute calls to identified individuals within the company. “Dual” because there may actually be two systems: one for dealing with incoming external calls from prospects, customers/clients, vendors, etc. and the second for dealing with intra-company calls. Both systems attempt person-to-person contact using a follow-me protocol which is easily updated as to scheduled whereabouts on a daily (or more frequent) basis.

If direct person-to-person contact is not achieved, then a combination of digital voice mail and e-mail distributes the caller’s information and message to multiple (as required) addressees. All calls and messages are monitored and followed by The Everywhere Office personnel, specifically the Operations Coordinator(s) assigned to your company.

Tracking and Recording “Things”:

“Things” are diverse. They are inquiries from potential customers; they are sales orders; they are notification that an order has shipped or a service performed; they are billings sent; they are payments received; they are hours worked; they are customer contact information; they are employee information; they are all of the pieces of information that are necessary to keep the operations of a business running smoothly and effectively. All is reported to the appropriate voice data address using standard formats.
The information goes into the data base immediately upon receipt.

Reporting to the Manager(s) and Others the Manager(s) Designate:

The Manager(s) (You) set up the definition and schedule of standard reports you want to receive. These reports are  submitted to you (usually in printable electronic file form) according to that schedule. The definition and schedule will almost certainly be an evolving thing.

Providing Easy Access to the Latest Real Time Information:

Your company’s Everywhere Office Operations Coordinator is available for telephone inquiries on specific items ----- “did Order # 8756 ship this morning?”  The response to this inquiry will be immediately forthcoming because we are…

Vigorously (but gently) Encouraging and Enabling Internal Operations Coordination:

Our transaction sequence concept:

Schedule-Action-Verification-Reporting

A Simple example in your Gadget Company:

A sales order received generates schedule(s) electronically distributed to all who have functions to perform or just a need to know. The Manufacturing Manager completes the schedule by accepting or modifying the completion/ship date.

Manufacturing notifies via a 30 second phone message to Internal Voice Data that “Order # 9346 Shipped 05/27/07 via Yellow Freight” (Action-Verification)

--OR--

The system is flagged to automatically generate an electronic inquiry to manufacturing as to whether the order has shipped (Action-Verification). The positive response generates electronic messages to other departments (Billing, Sales, etc.) (Verification).  These departments, in turn, complete their Actions and Verify electronically.

The Company database system enters (and date-time stamps) all Schedule and Verification entries and the accumulated data is reported to to the Manager(s) (and to those others the Manager(s) designates). (Report)

Step 5 - Learn How It Helps You